Train-signal.



No. 839,683. PATBNTED DEC. 25, 1906,

, G. D. WATSON.

TRAIN SIGNAL. APPLIOATION "FILED Muze. 190e.

3 SHEETS-SHEETVL if fm?? imm mii/m y WMM/'60.

A TTOHNE YS No. 839.683. v PA'1`E1\T'1`}.`.D DEC. 25, 1906. G. D. WATSON.

TRAIN SIGNAL. APPLloMloN FILED 14m29.190s.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w/TNESSES A TTOHDVE YS PATBNTED DEQ. 25,l 1906,

G. D. WAtrfsoNlk TMm SIGNAL. APPLICATION :FILED MAY29.1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ATTORNEYS" UNITED STATES PATENT; orrion.

GEORGE DILLEY WA'ISQN, OF PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTHTO WILLIAM H. KESSELMAN, ONE-FOURTH TO LEWIS P. KESSELMAN, AND ON E-FOURTH TO ERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA.

CHARLES L MAsrERsfor PARK- TRAIN-SIGNAL.

Specification of Ietters Patent Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

duplication filed May 29,1906. lSerial No. 319.278.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE DILLEY WAT- sON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Parkersbur in the county of Wood 5 and State of West irginia, have invented a new and Improved Train-Signal, aof which the following is a full, clear, and ei'ract descri tion.

is invention relates to train-signals.

The object of the invention is to produce apparatus of this. character which erate to prevent wrecks due to landslides or similar causes.

The invention consists in the construction I5 and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to vbe had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspeciica- 2o tion, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

FigureA l is a perspective showing a railwayout and illustrating the manner in which the apparatus is constructed and operated. Fig.

2 5 2 is a side elevation of one of the signal-posts, certain parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is l a front elevation of the signalost shown in Fig. 2 certain' Vparts being roken away. Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line 4 4 3o of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the arrangement of the apparatus adopted Where the signal comprises an electric light.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the application' of the invention to a tunnel. 3 5 Fig. 7 is a cross-section illustrating the man- Yner of a plying the invention to revent accidents fr and Eig. 8 is a plan showing its use to indicate -the destruction of a bridge. 4o Referring more particularly to the parts, and especially to Iig. 1, the drawing repre.- sents a railway-cut on the sides of which high banks lie which endanger the track from landslides or boulders w 'ch may roll 4 5 down in such a way as to cause a wreck.

In applying my invention I provide at suitable points signal-posts 1 and 2, and between these posts I set a plurality of intermediate posts/or staves 3, and these support 5o horizontally-strung wires 4, so that a fence or guard 5 is formed adjacent to the track of the levery are provided with ri om a lateral shifting o theA track,

and on the side Where the danger from land-- slides is expected.

Referring now es ecially to Figsf and 3, 5 5

`7, and in these thimbles helical springs 8 are mounted, respectively. T ese springs -8 thrust against collars 9, attached tothe ends of the bolts, and the springs are of sufficient vstrength toA maintain the'wires 4 substantially taut. Throughout their length the wires 4 are Supported upon the intermediate posts 3 by means of rollers or pulleys 10.y Near its base each post is provided with a trip-'lever 11, which is pivotally mounted uponarsuitable bolt 12, as indlcated. This' lever lies adjacent to a recess 1 3, which is formed longitudinally in the'corner of the post, as indicated. The upper extremity of the lever affords means for controlling a semaphore l14,.which is pivotally attached to the slde face of the post at the point 15. The butt-end of vthe semaphore is provided with a notch 16, and when the semaphore is'in a vertical position, as indicated in Fig. 2, this Anotch l5 may be engaged by' the tip of the lever l1. The bolts 6 pass through the lower portion of the` trip-lever 1 1 and on each' side idly-attached collars 17'. At a suitable polnt near the lower end of the semaphore when disposed in a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2, I provide a spring-case. 18, in which there isarranged a small helical spring 19. When the semaphore is inthe set position (shown in Fig. 2,) the spring is compressed, so that when the'trip-lever is operated to release the semaphore the spring throws the semaphore out of its central position. 'In"this way the 1on1T arm of the semaphore which constitutes the signal descends into a substantially horizonta position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.2andinfulllinesin .1.'

From the arran ement escribed it will,be understoodthati a landslide should occur, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the movement of the .earth or rocks Willfpperate the wires 4 in'such' a way as to releas the semaphore, which will then descend into the danger position;

IOO

i order, to make the apparatus useful at 'night aswell as 1n daytime, I provideigthe semaphore .I4/with a red glass 20, and this 'glass'isadapted to lie in front4 of a signal-lan- 4tern21, mounted vupona suitable 'bracket 22. vIn this waygthe lantern willb'e transformed into a danger-signal. Where it is desired to use an electric light as a si nal in connection with a semaphore, 'I provi an arrangement such as that indicated in Fig. 5. In this case I attachl to the semaphore-post 23 a semaphore 24, whichis actuated in the manner-dcscrlbed above. I provide an electric signal- ,also included in the aforesaid circuit 26, the

conductor from one contact running to the light, while the conductor from the other contact runs to the battery 27. When the sema- 25, phore is in its danger position, the contact 29'bridges the contacts 31, so that the circuit is closed through the lamp from the battery. In this way when the a paratus is operating at night an efficient dbnger-signal will be given.l .i i

The invention is applicable in preventing accidents from a cave-in at a tunnel. In FigL 6 its applicationin this connection is illustrated. 4VVhe'n used for this purpose,

the guard-fence 32 is arranged at the side of the track and extended a suicient distance to enable a fast-moving train to come to a stop between the semaphorepost 33 and the tunnel 3'4.. The wires of the guard-fence 32, which pass to the roof of the mouth of the tunnel, are strung along the under side there-l of. From this arrangement if a cave-in should occur the wires willbe pulled or become broken, so that the signal 35 will be operated.

In Fig. 7 the device is shown applied to prevent an accident from the lateral shifting of the track. I n this instancev one of the rails, such as the rail. 36, has an anchor-plate 37 secured to the same and to the cross-tie 39.- To this anchor-plate a cable 3S is attached, which may pass under a guide-pulley 40, setup at, the side of the tracks, as shown. The extremity oi this cable 38 is attached to one of the wires of the guard-fence 41, preferably the bottom wire 42, as indicated. If desirable, in order to protect the cable 38 the same may be incased in a sheath or covering oi' wood or similar material.

In using the device to prevent an accident from the destruction of a bridge I adopt the l arrangement shown in Fig. 8, wherein 43 represents the bridge across which the track asses. Onthe side -of the track 'a guardence 44 runs, and the wires of this fence pass across the stream whichruns under the 'brid e. -At the'side of the bridge adjacent to t e fence 44 anchor-plates 45 are provided, similar to 'the anchor-plate 37, and

bridge, so that if a washout occurs the cables 46 will be sure to operate the signal.

Special attention is called to the fact that the signal will be operated not only by a-'pull in the wires of the guard-fence, butalso by a rupture or breaking of these Wires. In the latter instance the springs in connection with the wires at the signal-posts.v will Aoperate .when their tension is released to actuate the semaphore..

Having thus described my invention, -I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. I n apparatus of the class described, in.

combination, a signal-post, a signal carried thereby, a trip-lever controllingsaid signal,4 and a plurality of wires extending longitudinallyef the track and constitutinga'iguard, said wires being connected with said triplever, means for attaching said wires fin said said wires andmaintaining the same taut.

2. In apparatus 'of Ithe class described, 'in combination, a signal -post, `a semaphore mounted thereupon, :a trip-lever controlling said semaphore, a plurality of-bolts slidably mounted on said ost attachedto said triplever, wires attac ed to said.bolts and extending longitudinally of the track to constitute a guard, and springs respectively in con- 'nection with said bolts and maintaining a tension in said wires. 3. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a post having a' plurality lof recesses therein, bolts slidably mounted in said post and extending through said recesses; a plurality of wires attached to said bolts respectively, a trip-lever connected with said bolts and attached to said post, a signal carried by said post and controlled by said triplever, and springs disposed respectively 'in said recesses and maintaining a tension in said wires.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of .two subscribing'witnesses.

" GEORGE DILLEY Witnessesz.

WM. B. JONES, LEWIS P. KEssELMAN.

.95 post, and springs respectively connected with roo recl

WATSON. 

